If I Could REALLY Tell You….

If I could be honest with all of you… all of you that I love and respect and feel affection for… I would just say it straight out… “What the heck are you thinking?”  Are you thinking that God is not there, is not real? 

For those that don’t  believe, I have a horrible feeling of fear and urgency.  I have described it as watching you out in the water and seeing a hungry crocodile approaching.  I yell and beg you to get yourself out of that water and you just give me odd looks and tell me I’m crazy.  What are you thinking?  Don’t you even want to turn around and examine the seascape to see if something is actually approaching?  What if I’m right?  Take a closer look… examine it for yourself.  In a world that is filled with wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and plagues and famines… in a world where current fossil evidence points more to creation than evolution… in a world where prayer is scientifically proven to enhance good health… in a world where statistics prove that regular church-goers live longer… in this world, why would you not turn around to try to see if that crocodile really is stalking you? 

Some of you are afraid to look because you’re afraid you will see things that you “shouldn’t” be doing.  You’re afraid you’ll have to give up some fun, some drugs, some sex, some “sin.”  Don’t worry about that.  Jesus loves you just as you are.  He knows you and knows what you are ready to do and what you are not ready to do.  He even knows what you may never be ready to do, but don’t ignore Him just because you’re afraid of His demands.  His only request of you at this time is that you ask Him to come into your heart!  You don’t have to give up drinking.  You don’t have to give up lying.  You don’t have to give up being gay.  You don’t have to give up that adulterous affair.  You don’t have to stop having that pre-marital sex.  He’s is not asking you to give up anything.  He’s asking you, instead, to accept something… His residence in you.  Just ask Him to come into your heart.  All that other stuff will be worked out in His time.  He is all powerful and has plans to prosper you, not to harm you.  Give Him a chance.  How can it hurt you?  Jesus loves sinners.  He knows what is in each and every one of us and He looks past the sin and into our souls.

I guess I just don’t understand why any sane person wouldn’t give Jesus a chance.  If you don’t believe He is real, then what harm could possibly be caused if you prayed to Him to come into your heart.  Pray it as if you believed for a second and see what happens to your heart and to your life.

If Monty Hall handed you an envelope and said, “There might be money in there for you,” wouldn’t you open it no matter how skeptical you felt?  If you opened it and found nothing, would you be sorry you at least tried?  I don’t think so.

Now, HERE’S an envelope being handed to you that has something FAR more valuable in it than money… just try it.  What have you got to lose?

“God, I have my doubts about everything.  I have my doubts about you.  Somehow, though, I find myself taking this opportunity, not even knowing why… and I’d like to pray to you.  If Jesus is truly your son and my savior, I welcome Him into my heart.  I’m skeptical but I’d like to believe and I’d like to be saved.  The Christian religion scares me, God.  It seems so judgmental and many horrible things have been done in the name of Christianity.  But, if you truly are the God of the Bible and if Jesus truly is the Messiah, I want to be a part of that.  I want to have everlasting life in you.  Because of this, Lord, I ask you to come into my heart.  I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit and to reveal yourself to me.  I know I am a sinner, Lord.  I know I will never be perfect.  But if there is a way you can touch my life, then, I ask you to do your will.  If you are really you, than I am really yours. Amen.”